Jesus Is Our Lifesaver

Many people enjoy boating, fishing, sailing, and canoeing. Whether on lakes, rivers, or an ocean, it’s important to have a flotation device. (Show your flotation device.) A flotation device can be a life jacket or what some people call a lifesaver. They’re important even for good swimmers because if an accident happens, a flotation device like a life jacket can save your life. (Invite children to briefly tell about times they used flotation devices.)

I once heard a story about some people who went fishing on a big lake. Before they left, everyone got their life jackets and were ready to go...that is, except one man who didn’t want to wear one. Well, after they went out onto that big lake, a storm came. The wind blew. (Have kids make wind sounds.) And the waves came up into the boat. (Have kids make wave-crashing sounds.) They became so high that they turned the boat over. (Have kids let out a big gasp.) The people who were wearing life jackets made it to shore and were saved. But the man who didn’t want to wear his life jacket drowned. 

• What do you think about what happened in this story?

The man could’ve been saved had he chosen to take that life jacket he so needed. This story reminds me of something the Bible tells us. It says "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Jesus is our life jacket. God sent Him to earth to save us. Through His death and resurrection, we can be forgiven and have eternal life with God. All we have to do is believe and accept Jesus as our savior. We’ll still face storms, but when we do, we’ll have our life jacket--Jesus is our lifesaver.

It’s foolish to go out onto the water without a life jacket, but it’s even more foolish to try to sail the sea of life without Jesus!

Dear God, I know You sent Jesus to die on the cross to save us. I pray that each and every one here today will take hold of the one thing that can save--Jesus, our Savior. In Jesus’ name, amen.